In the processing of materials such as ceramics, thermal uniformity is often required to achieve uniform heating of the product and to minimize opportunities for distortion, bending or cracking of the product by reason of uneven heating. The uniformity of heating and the control thereof is particularly critical in the processing of ceramic materials, such as low temperature cofired ceramics and ceramic membranes, powder metals and solid oxide fuel cells. Such materials are formed of a ceramic or metal powder retained in a binder material. The binder material is removed during initial stages of a thermal process cycle and after binder removal, the ceramic or metal powder is sintered to provide a monolithic sintered mass. Efficient removal of the binder prior to sintering is essential to achieve high quality sintering of the final product.